GRANTZ
by Desire of the Endless
Summary: An adventure in South Africa. I own all the characters, they are my creation. this is MY story. No one may claim it other than myself.
1. Talking Trees and Boney Ghosts

**AN: Many thanks to Izzy Daystar (cast as Anata) and Jacob (Otherwise known as my Pale-Horned Prince) without whom I would never have written this. They are my muses.**

**Please read and review! I wouldn't have posted my origional work if it hadn't been that I want to know what the public thinks of it. The chapters are relatively short, but hopefully they speak to you. Enjoy!**

**Chapter One**

**Talking Trees and Boney Ghosts**

The sun blared hot on that particular day in mid-June. My sister and I sat on the edge of the fountain in the village centre trying our best to think of ways to keep cool. Not an easy task when you happen to live in South Africa.

Anata's dark skin flushed red from the heat, which was hard to believe, due to how dark she normally was.

"Halina," she said, turning to face me, "we can't just sit here all day."

"I know, Ana, but what CAN we do?" I replied. Anata could see as well as I that not even the palace was in its usual rush. No servants were running between the different parts of the palace grounds on their usual tasks. No advisors were in the courtyard. There was not a single person moving about on the grounds.

"I wonder how the royals keep from dying of boredom in such heat," Anata mused. Our king and queen were rarely seen, but occasionally one might catch a glance of one or the other. It was said that we also had a crown prince named Ilfort, but neither my sister nor our five brothers, nor our three sisters, nor myself, had ever seen him. Supposedly our mother had once before she died, but all she had said was that he was different.

Anata and I were both a year younger than our seemingly-mythical prince.

My twin sister smiled as a light breeze began to blow. It was still hot, but better than nothing. I looked in the direction the breeze came from with the intention of thanking the God of Winds, but was suddenly distracted by something small and white fluttering past my sister. I snatched it out of the air.

It was small, rectangular, light-weight, and completely white save a few black markings like the ones you see on scrolls.

"What's that, Hal?" Anata inquired, snatching it away from my hand.

"No clue, what's it mean?"

"Writing. It's in another language." She began reading it aloud. I had never heard such beautifully flowing sounds before in my life.

When she finished, I asked her how she knew how to say such strange things.

"I'm not sure, Halina. I think Mama spoke it. She called it 'French.' From the looks of this, it's a page from a book."

"Uhm, Ana," I began curiously, "what's a b…" I stopped short as a rather hard heavy object fell on my head and then to the ground.

"Ow! What was th…?" Again I stopped, seeing the look on Anata's face. Disbelief and excitement contorted her features.

"H… Halina…" she said shakily, "Th… that's a… a…"

"A what, Ana?"

"A book."

I looked at her puzzled. So this rock-like object was a book. I asked my sister, "Do they normally grow on trees?"

"Actually," said the tree the thing had fallen out of, "only the pages come from trees."

"HOLY! Ana, did that tree just SPEAK?"

"There are no talking trees here," said the voice from the tree again. "I was the one who spoke to you."

I looked up into the tree again and on the lowest branch there now sat a boy. He was pale as a sheet and had pure white hair that stuck up like a horn. I felt my eyes widen.

"GHOST!" I shrieked and ducked behind my sister, falling to the ground.

"No ghosts here, I'm afraid," he said, jumping nimbly from the branch to land softly in front of Anata. "My name is Ilfort Grantz." He politely extended his hand to help me up and as he did so, I heard my sister gasp.

Our moment with the polite stranger, Ilfort, was cut short when an angry voice drifted over the high wall.

"Prince Ilfort! Young prince! Where has the boy gotten to this time? Your Highness!"

Ilfort looked sadly towards us and said, "I'm afraid I must go. It was a pleasure meeting you both, and I hope to see you soon." With that, he climbed into the tree and jumped over the wall, leaving his book behind.


	2. Another Royal?

**Chapter Two**

**Another Royal?**

"I can't believe we met the PRINCE!"

"Ana, you've said that eight times in the past twenty minutes," I reminded her.

She ignored me and continued, "The prince. We met royalty. And he dropped a book on you!" She held the book closely.

Anata could be a bit obsessive at times. I had learned that on the day Mama had found me.

My own mother had been a queen of gypsies. I had never told anyone, as they had never asked. All anyone would ever ask was where she was and when I told them she had died, they didn't press the subject.

Though it had been long ago that she'd died, I could still remember her.

**AN: This is a memory**

_The sun was so bright that day. Bright and hot. So hot that even the ground was thirsty and there were no plants anywhere except for a few strange looking trees. Mother and Aiden sat with me in the back of the wagon as it bounced across the yellowish-white ground._

"_Mother," I asked her, "where are we? Why's the ground look so funny?"_

_She smiled, running her golden-tanned hands through her sun coloured hair and said, "Alinna, we're in a land called Egypt. The ground here is covered in sand. It's like teeny-tiny rocks. They don't get much rain here."_

"_Why?" my big brother asked._

_Mother said she didn't know why. "Aiden, why don't you take Alinna and go play with…" she was cut short by one of the guards peeking into the wagon._

"_Aria, there are raiders near."_

"_Lucas, take Aiden and Alinna. Hide them in the undercarriage."_

_Lucas nodded and led us around to the side of the wagon. Aiden climbed into one side and I was helped into the other._

_Aiden only stayed for two days. I was there alone for three after he left._

_I slept lightly, so when the hatch was opened I awoke from the sound and the light that filtered through. A woman stood outside, a girl about my age hid behind her and looked at me fearfully._

"_Ana," the woman said to her, "go get Daddy."_

_The girl, Ana, nodded and replied, "Yes, Mama."_

**AN: End Memory**

Ana's Mama had died only a few short years after she had found me. It had been nearly twelve years since that day, and still there were things that Ana didn't know about me. Perhaps I should have told her, but as I said, she had never asked me who I was, and the only other person who could have told her hadn't been seen since the night of the raid.


	3. PaleHorned Guest

**Chapter Three**

**Pale-Horned Guest**

I woke the next day to find a strangely familiar voice drifting into the room. It was light and friendly, and quite obviously male.

I rose and dressed quickly, padding my way into the front room to see who the other voice was. Ilfort Grantz.

He stood to greet me and offered me his hand. I took it, and to my surprise, he did not shake it, but rather kissed it. I blushed violently.

"Miss Halina," he said politely.

"Pale-Horned Prince," I whispered inaudibly.

"What?"

"How did you know where we live?"

He seemed amused. "It IS my kingdom; I should know where its people live, shouldn't I?" I gave him a confused look, and he added, "Plus, being a prince has its perks. People will tell you anything you ask."

"So you didn't really know where we live?"

"No, but I thought I might try to find out. I really did enjoy your company yesterday. Being locked up in that stuffy old palace is no fun, honestly, but I'm not usually allowed out, so you two were literally a breath of much needed fresh air."

He smiled and I felt my blush deepen. I wasn't quite sure why, but this pasty white prince got to me… not that I'm admitting that I liked or anything.

For the first time, I noted what he wore. His shirt and breeches were rather brightly coloured for this part of the world. I remember Mother getting some like them for Aiden from someplace we stopped called India. That had been one of my favorite places. So warm and beautiful. At the time, I had thought that only gypsies could go that far, but he was a prince, so he probably had people he could send to get things from faraway places like that.

His shoes were tan at the bottom with white straps like the ones I had from a far away land called Rome. He reminded me of the shows Big Brother and I had watched while we waited for Mother to return. I think one was called Oedipus, but I'm not sure. To me it sounded like they were saying Octopus, but that's not something you would want to name someone in a show.

"Ilfort?" I finally decided to ask.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever been to another land?"

"No, but I've read about them in the books that traders bring in. Places called India, Rome, China, and France. Why do you ask?"

"Your shoes… my mother once had some like them. I've got them now." I looked down at my own sandals.

"Have you been to Rome?" he asked, while Ana left to tend our small garden.

"Yes. Once when I was small. Before my mother…"

"What is it? Have I offended you?"

"No," I said honestly, "It's just that I haven't ever told anyone much about my mother. To be honest, no one's ever asked before." I smiled a small smile at him, then continued, "It'll be nice having someone to share it with after all this time."

"If you would like to tell, I am here to listen."

So I told him. Everything. I don't know why I chose him to trust with my long-kept secret, but I did. I told him about my mother and our caravan. About Aiden and the shows in Rome. About India. How the colours went on forever and there were animals as big as ten trees and then about the palace. There were statues of little fat men and many-armed women all around the outside, and the roofs were like upside-down spinning tops. He listened intently, like he was interested in, not only all my adventures, but also just in what I had to say. The one thing I didn't tell him was that I was possibly the queen of gypsies now. I didn't know if Mother had died, but if she had, then I would have taken the "throne" of our caravan and all others.

When I finished, Ilfort Grantz asked the hardest question of all, "Who was your mother, anyways?"

I hesitated. "My mother's name was Aria Moon. She was queen of Gypsies."

Ilfort smiled. "Well, then, Your Highness, perhaps I should extend a proper invitation to the gala that is to be held soon in my father's honour. I hope you and your sister will attend."

"Please, tell no one. Anata does not know and she is my sister."

"It is your secret, fair lady. I shan't breathe a word of it without your consent. I am afraid that for now, I must take my leave and return to the palace. Good day."

"Ilfort!"

He turned around. "Yes?"

I blushed. "You forgot your book." I handed it to him, not wanting him to leave.

He seemed thoughtful, then said, "Would you mind coming to meet me at the wall near the fountain? I am not allowed out of the palace much and I would enjoy the company quite a lot."

"I'd love to," I replied. With that, Ilfort Grantz left, and I hurried out to help Ana in the garden.


	4. What Now?

**Chapter Four**

**What Now?**

I told Ana about what Ilfort had said. She seemed to think it was a perfectly marvelous idea to attend the gala. I reminded her that it was a formal event.

"What about those dresses you have from India? Those… what are they called?"

"Saris. And I don't know..."

"Oh, come ON, Hal! I know they would look GREAT! And I bet our Pale-Horned friend would like how you look in the gold one. Besides, didn't you say we would be wearing masks? He wouldn't have a clue who you were and it could be just like a fairytale!"

"Ana, I don't think…"

"Good! Thinking is the WORST thing you could do right now! Now, just stop it and admit I'm right!. Come on. You know you want to. It'll be fun!"

"Fine! I'll do it. I'll wear the sari and I'll go to the gala. Happy?"

She smiled and squeaked her approval. This was going to get interesting. Anata could be so pushy sometimes, but I had to admit, I hoped she was right about more than just the fun. What could I say? He caught my attention.


End file.
